Belden announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to make an all-cash offer to acquire Miranda Technologies for C$345m, or C$17 per share. Belden will finance the deal with $200m in cash and use debt for the rest. Belden says it has no plans for any changes to Miranda’s existing operations, including its Montreal base.

This is the fourth broadcast-related acquisition that Belden has made in the last two years. The company has previously acquired Telecast Fiber Systems, LRC, and ICM.

For Miranda, the deal is the culmination of six months of speculation about the company’s future, which started in December of 2011 when a group of activist shareholders petitioned to replace members of Miranda’s Board of Directors, and was further advanced in March 2012 when Miranda said it had decided to “hold discussions with potential strategic partners as part of the company’s review of ways in which to continue to enhance value and to build on the positive momentum that it has generated over the past two years.”

In a company video, Miranda CEO Strath Goodship said the deal is a good one for both Miranda and its customers, and that he expects the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2012. Goodship also said that the current vision is for Belden to form a broadcast division using the Miranda brand, product portfolio, production, development and management teams, which will remain as part of the enlarged company.

For Belden, this transaction is the latest in a series of actions taken by the company to transform through expansion into attractive new markets. Belden CEO John Stroup sees this deal as consistent with this strategy, calling it a “recipe for increased shareholder value.”

With the addition of Miranda to its line-up, Belden instantly becomes one of the largest players in the broadcast technology market. According to its analyst presentation, Belden expects to have $495m in broadcast industry revenue when the acquisition closes. At that time, broadcast will make up approximately 25% of Belden’s total revenue.